‘Arts Unite’ Series by Oceanside Theatre Company Launches with Focus on Lowrider Culture

Oceanside Theatre Company kicks off its new “Arts Unite” series Sunday with February programs focused on lowriders and Black pioneers.

The community-focused series aims to bring people of different communities and backgrounds together, build empathy, reveal shared values and spark dialogue.

First up, at 2 p.m. Sunday, is the free “Culture of Lowriding: History, Culture & Community,” featuring a panel discussion.

Next is “Generational Black Pioneers – Featuring Oceanside Firsts” at 7:30 p.m. Feb. 17 and 2:30 p.m. Feb. 18, with tickets starting at $15.

Both events take place at the Brooks Theater, 217 N. Coast Highway, Oceanside. 

The Arts Unite series is funded, in part, by a grant from the Prebys Foundation.

“Last year’s collaboration for Black Pioneers was such a beautiful, fresh experience, and so well-supported by the community, we knew that there was an opportunity to build upon the 2023 model to engage many more people in 2024,” said the theater’s Managing Director Alex Goodman.

The theater partnered with Mad Strange and the Members Only Car Club to present the live community conversation and panel for “Culture of Lowriding,” in which members from the North County lowrider community share the history and culture of lowriding in the area.

“Generational Black Pioneers – Featuring Oceanside Firsts” is a multimedia theatrical program, presented by the Oceanside Theatre Company, Oceanside Historical Society and Bliss Tea and Treats.

It features moments from the 1960s to the present that depict the turmoil and challenges that brought about long-awaited change. 

Additional cultural pioneers programs are planned to elevate and celebrate Oceanside’s Asian Pacific Islander (May 19), LGBTQ (June 8) and Latino communities (Sept. 21).

Along with the new “Lived Experience” series hosted by Jimmy Figueroa and an “Artist Talkback” series hosted by Artistic Director Kevin ‘Blax’ Burroughs, the theater will be offering monthly community engagement programs under the “Arts Unite” banner.